General Attorney (Human Rights/Human Trafficking/Victim Assistance)

About the role

Join the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of the Principal Legal Advisor's (OPLA) Human Rights Violator Law Division (HRVLD) as Counsel and leverage your legal experience to pursue accountability in cases relating to human rights, war crimes, and human trafficking.

What you will do

• OPLA is the largest legal program in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), employing over 3,000 attorneys nationwide.
• OPLA provides a full range of legal services to all ICE programs and offices and serves as the exclusive representative of DHS in removal proceedings before the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR).
• The selected attorney will fill the Counsel position and primarily serve as DHS's agency counsel for one of the few teams within the U.S. government handling legal matters for a wide range of human rights accountability related cases and issues.
• HRVLD attorneys work closely with a wide range of ICE program offices, both domestically and internationally.
• HRVLD attorneys also work closely with the DHS Office of the General Counsel Headquarters (OGC HQ), other DHS component legal offices; as well as numerous other U.S. government agencies.
• HRVLD attorneys serve as experts on their assigned areas of human rights law; they work with a team of experienced attorneys, historians, analysts, and agents who perform a critical role to advance ICE's efforts to investigate, prosecute, and remove those who violate our human rights laws, as well as human traffickers and human smugglers, while seeking to preserve the rights of victims of federal crimes identified in HSI investigations.
• HRVLD attorneys work in country-focused groups at the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)-led Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center (HRVWCC) to identify, investigate, and prosecute both criminal and civil cases of individuals in the United States who have engaged in persecution, genocide, extrajudicial killing, torture, severe violations of religious freedom, female genital mutilation, the use or recruitment of child soldiers, war crimes, and other human rights violations.
• Specialized knowledge of human rights violations in the Balkans is preferred.
• Additionally, HRVLD attorneys support HSI's investigation of human smuggling cases and networks which pose national security and public safety risks, jeopardize lives, and engage in violence, abuse or extortion; advise the HSI Victim Assistance Program (VAP) which supports victim issues in a wide range of federal crimes including human trafficking, child sexual abuse material, child sex tourism, financial scams targeting vulnerable populations, and human rights abuses; work with DHS's Center for Countering Human Trafficking (CCHT) to counter human trafficking; and provide legal advice on law enforcement parole into the United States, specialized visas for those assisting law enforcement, and witness security.
• The selected attorney will immediately be given significant responsibilities and will be expected to research and craft persuasive, legally supportable positions to address the needs of agency operational components.
• Timely oral and written guidance will be routinely provided to ICE officers and agents, division management, and senior leadership within OPLA, ICE, and OGC HQ by the selected attorney.
• At a minimum, duties will include the following: Advise the HRVWCC, the CCHT, ICE's Human Smuggling programs, ICE's law enforcement parole programs, and/or VAP; Provide legal support and training to OPLA attorneys who advise HSI special agents conducting criminal investigations related to human rights abuses, human trafficking, or human smuggling; Provide legal support and training to designated OPLA attorneys who litigate human rights-related cases before EOIR; Prepare and deliver briefings on matters within the division's portfolio to assist DHS, ICE, Enforcement and Removal Operations, HSI, and OPLA leadership; Review legislation, external communications, federal interagency documents, and policies within the division's portfolio; Provide well-reasoned legal advice and counsel, including on immigration and criminal law issues; Conduct necessary, agency-wide, civil discovery; Represent DHS in immigration court proceedings when needed; and Develop and present trainings on substantive areas of law within the division's portfolio.

Education

Applicants must be a graduate of an accredited law school with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) or LLM degree.

Please see Required Documents for more information. A student loan repayment incentive may be available; if such an incentive is available and is authorized, a service agreement will be required.

How you will be evaluated

All information and documents submitted as set forth in the Required Documents section will be reviewed to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements. Qualified candidates will be rated by comparing each candidate's qualifications to the skills and experience pertinent to the position to be filled.

Experience, education, training, awards, and performance will be considered. An applicant need not have specific knowledge and experience regarding each item listed in the Qualifications section to qualify for the position. If you do not provide a valid email address, you may not be notified of the outcome of your application.

Applications and supporting documentation will not be accepted by mail or email. If you need further assistance, please contact the OPLA representative listed on this announcement.

National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social).

Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Documents you must provide

• You must include all required documentation, as set forth below, with your application package before the closing date.
• No extensions will be granted.
• Failure to provide all of the required information as listed in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect your overall rating.
• Cover Letter: Your cover letter must discuss your interest in the position; your pertinent knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience; and your personal characteristics and competencies that qualify you for the position as detailed in the Duties and Qualifications sections of this announcement.
• Your cover letter must also include your full name; home address; home or work e-mail address(es); phone number(s) where we may contact you (cell, work, and/or home); name of law school, year of graduation, and year admitted to the bar.
• Résumé: Your resume must include announcement number (DE-13056299-26-DM), education, work experience, training, awards, and work experience.
• For each work experience listed, please include job title, duties, employer's name, employer's telephone number, employer's address, and starting and ending dates (MM/YY).
• Please indicate whether we may contact your current supervisor.
• Note: USAJOBS restricts resume submissions to two pages.
• Be sure your resume meets this requirement before applying.
• Bar Membership/Certificate of Good Standing: Submit a copy of your bar card, certificate of good standing, or other documentary evidence to prove that you are an active member in good standing of the bar of a state, a U.S. a territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
• Writing Sample: A writing sample demonstrating your legal analytical abilities must be submitted as part of your application package, for which you must be the principal author.
• It should not exceed 10 double-spaced pages.
• If you are a current or former federal employee: Submit a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action that demonstrates your eligibility for consideration, e.g., length of time you have been in your current grade; your highest grade held.
• Examples of appropriate SF-50s include promotions, within-grade increases and accessions.
• If you are a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee: Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information about your most recent political appointment: Position title, type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee), agency and beginning and ending dates of appointment.
• Veterans' Preference Documentation (if applicable): You must provide acceptable documentation of your preference or appointment eligibility.
• The member 4 copy of your DD214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty," is preferable.
• If claiming 10-point preference, you will need to submit a Standard Form (SF-15), "Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference." If applying based on eligibility under the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, you must submit certification from the Armed Forces that you will be discharged or released from active duty within 120 days from the date on the certification.
• This must indicate your dates of service, your rank, and confirm that you will be separated under honorable conditions.
• View more veterans' information.
• You may be asked to provide a law school transcripts and/or a copy of your most recent performance appraisal.

What to expect next

You will receive an acknowledgement email confirmation once you have successfully submitted your application. Applications will be reviewed for completeness.

Failure to provide all required documentation as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating.

Eligible applicants will be referred to the hiring official for further consideration as vacancies become available. Highly qualified applicants may be contacted for an interview. If you are selected, you will receive a tentative offer.

Upon acceptance, the drug test and the suitability/background investigation will be initiated.

Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and OMB plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.

Additional information

Promotion Potential: This position has promotion potential to the GS-15. When promotion potential is shown, the agency is not making a commitment and is not obligated to provide future promotions to you if you are selected.

Future promotions will be dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, the continuing need for an employee assigned to the higher level, and administrative approval. Bargaining Unit Status: This is a non-bargaining position.

E-Verify: DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities. Direct Deposit: All federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.

Veterans' Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the Excepted Service; however, OPLA considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring.

Financial Disclosure: If you are hired, you may be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) within 30 days after appointment.

Suitability: If you receive a conditional offer of employment, you must complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty.

False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment. Background Investigation: DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy.

To meet these standards, all selected applicants must undergo a background investigation and successfully obtain and maintain a security clearance at the Secret level as a condition of placement into this position.

This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and tax obligations, and a review of certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs. Drug Test: Pursuant to Executive Order 12564 and the DHS Drug-Free Workplace Plan, ICE is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace.

All applicants tentatively selected for employment are subject to pre-employment drug testing and a final offer of employment is contingent upon a negative result. OPLA will ensure that applicants with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations when appropriate.

If reasonable accommodation is required for any part of the application process, please contact the OPLA representative listed on this announcement.

One or more positions may be filled using this vacancy announcement.